A Big Four firm

Creating clarity

There are sometimes projects where we are not able to shout about what we have done. This is one of them. However, we can give a general overview of the work – which has been both extensive and global.

We were appointed to assist this firm in rationalising its brand architecture – which had got out of hand as individuals had created brands that met their own business need while ignoring the impact on the parent brand. We needed to help customers better understand what was being offered and ensure each product, service and division added value back to the parent company. In doing this we first had to analyse the brands being used in the market, understand why they were created and understand how customers bought them. We next had to look at the strategy of the company and its priorities, to understand how each brand could best support the company’s desired place in the market.

Through a series of workshops around the world we engaged key staff to map out the brand architecture today and the desired future architecture. From this we put in place clear rules that defined different levels of brand for the company. For each level we created rules – for both strategy and design – that helped guide the creation of new brands and that gave coherence to existing ones. This brand architecture simplifies the customer experience and ensures that the perception of the parent brand reinforces its strategic ambition.